The Fulfillment Series

Thursday, October 8, 2015

The Volton Crest

Today, Danielle is talking about the Volton crest. I remember the first time she showed it to me, and I thought it fit the Voltons so well.

Holt and Mars are two of my favorite tertiary characters in the series. They're men who've dedicated their lives to serving others, but they're not completely altruistic. Since they have their own behind-the-scenes situations that drive their actions, they make for complex characters whose actions help shape the three main characters.

Volton Crest

While we can safely say the Voltons are not spiritual
leaders, they have a strong impact on all of the kingdoms, and they’re a group Elder
Werrick would like to see diminished.

Voltons are what I consider a splinter group of the
Ecclesiastics. I believe that maybe there was only one group—the Ecclesiastics—but
after a time greed, power and control started poisoning the group. At this
point, a few disagreed with the practices and felt they could better serve the
kingdoms through five disciplines (medical, agriculture, teaching, kingdom and
dark arts). As the Ecclesiastics pushed more of their agenda on the kingdoms,
the Voltons stepped up and provided much needed services for all. Many Voltons
even make it a point to live in the kingdoms, not just try to control them.

Through the series, we meet and hear from many Voltons,
but we get the deepest glimpse into Volton Mars’ life. He is a trusted adviser,
tutor, medical professional, and friend to the Ethereal royal family. We see
his deep connection to everyone in the family, especially when he tirelessly
saves Wil's life. This man may be a Volton, but he loves the Ethereals too.

Voltons are supposed to remain neutral, and the ones we
see do a good job at that. Mars won't divulge any Outlander secrets even though
he knows his “family” is heading into danger. The same goes for Volton Holt;
although he does let a few things slide like when he catches Layla snooping in
his study. We also see the compassion this group has as they care for released
prophecy candidates and how they take in refugees like Grant and Samson's
parents.

On to the crest! This crest has 3 main
parts; the elemental symbol for earth, an hourglass-like shape, and a scroll. The
symbol for earth was chosen because of all the groups, this one is the most
grounded of all. They do not rely on traditions but study them. They do not
take sides but live within all the kingdoms. Their goal is knowledge, and they
use that knowledge for the good of all, not for any specific group.

The hourglass-like shape in the center
symbolizes balance, which would fit in with the Voltons as they are a balancing
force within the kingdoms. The specific shape I chose looks a lot like an
inverted triangle balancing atop another. The scroll was added to show that
they base everything in fact and greatly value knowledge. The Voltons even have
dedicated wings in their main building for each discipline, and all new Volton
trainees must rotate through all five before choosing their life's work.

The color green was chosen for many
reasons. Green is associated with renewal and growth. It alleviates nervousness
and is soothing and relaxing. Green also brings with it a sense of hope,
health, and renewal, as well as self-control, compassion, and harmony. All of
these traits can summarize the Voltons. Also, green is my favorite color!

Stay tuned, the next and last crest post
will share the insights into the Outlander crest and maybe even some secrets
that were instrumental in my creating the crests. Remember, the last book in
the Fulfillment series will be available on October 15th.
See you next time!

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About Me

Erin Rhew is an editor, a running coach, and the author of The Fulfillment Series. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."

A Southern girl by blood and birth, Erin now lives in a rainy pocket of the Pacific Northwest with her amazingly talented (and totally handsome) author husband, Deek Rhew, and their patient-as-a-saint writing assistant, a tabby cat named Trinity. She and Deek enjoy reading aloud to one another, running, lifting, boxing, eating chocolate, and writing side-by-side.